Harvesting of MFP, Construction in Rural Areas, NBFCs & Cooperative Societies exempted from Lockdown restrictions

The government has issued an order that that exempts certain activities under the consolidated revised guidelines to all Ministries/Departments the Nationwide lockdown to fight COVID-19.

In the new order, agricultural and horticultural activities like collection, harvesting and processing of minor forest produce or non-timber forest produce by scheduled tribes and other forest dwellers in forest areas have been exempted. Plantation of bamboo, coconut, areca nut, cocoa, and spices and its harvesting, processing, packaging, sale and marketing have been put under the exempted categories.

Certain activities that have been exempted from the lockdown restrictions include

1) Collection, harvesting and processing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP)/ Non-timber Forest Produce (NTFP) by Scheduled Tribes and other forest dwellers in forest areas.

2) Plantation of bamboo, coconut, areca nut, cocoa, spices and their harvesting, processing, packaging, sale and marketing.

3) Non-banking financial institutions (NBFCs) including Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) and Micro Finance Companies (NBFC--MFIs), with bare minimum staff.

4) Cooperative Credit Societies.

Construction activities in rural areas to include water supply and sanitation, laying/erection of power transmission lines and laying of telecom optical fibre and cable along with related activities.

The Centre has issued consolidated revised guidelines for the second phase of lockdown on April 15, 2020, in the exercise of the powers conferred under the Disaster Management Act. Government has allowed certain relaxations in the notified services from April 20, 2020, in the areas having no hotspot.

The lockdown 2.0 will end on May 3 and the exemptions will be imposed in those areas which are not under containment zones.